CAR FLAGGED FOR CA State REF "PLEASE HELP"
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Apr 2019
Posts: 18
Likes: 1
From: SoCal
The CVN is a checksum so yes, if just one bit is changed in the tune to bypass anything the CVN will change. I had to disable the Immobilizer which has nothing to do with emissions and this changed the CVN. The ECU has to be programmed to be completely stock and there's no way around this last time I checked unfortunately.
For ALL future smogs I would make sure your ECU has the correct values. This is what the state ref is using to flag vehicles.
For ALL future smogs I would make sure your ECU has the correct values. This is what the state ref is using to flag vehicles.
This information is troubling. How would anyone go about smogging their car every two years with aftermarket parts? If they run the stock tune without force passing the necessary monitors to be ready, the car would fail smog with the aftermarket parts. Having to reinstall all stock parts every two year to run with the stock tune would not be worthwhile. No one will be able to mod their cars.
This information is troubling. How would anyone go about smogging their car every two years with aftermarket parts? If they run the stock tune without force passing the necessary monitors to be ready, the car would fail smog with the aftermarket parts. Having to reinstall all stock parts every two year to run with the stock tune would not be worthwhile. No one will be able to mod their cars.
Anyone familiar with the progress California Rifle & Pistol Association has had recently? If they can do it, can we?
It's insane that this literally has nothing to do with emissions. We're running leaner, on E85, we can pass any sniffer test, and yet we have to spend thousands just to comply with nothing. I know there are some classic car groups on Facebook (Californians For Classic Car Smog Exemptions) that try to be politically active, but those weak exemptions aren't enough. I would easily pay an exemption fee if California just promised to leave me alone if I drove a relatively low number of miles. California could put that money towards the environment instead of screwing us over. They're essentially forcing us to get rid of our practically recycled cars and buy brand new Mustangs and Camaros.
I'm on a 2.4, so we'll see how it goes. I'm not doing an engine swap for California.
It's insane that this literally has nothing to do with emissions. We're running leaner, on E85, we can pass any sniffer test, and yet we have to spend thousands just to comply with nothing. I know there are some classic car groups on Facebook (Californians For Classic Car Smog Exemptions) that try to be politically active, but those weak exemptions aren't enough. I would easily pay an exemption fee if California just promised to leave me alone if I drove a relatively low number of miles. California could put that money towards the environment instead of screwing us over. They're essentially forcing us to get rid of our practically recycled cars and buy brand new Mustangs and Camaros.
I'm on a 2.4, so we'll see how it goes. I'm not doing an engine swap for California.
For evo members who has no affiliates with the state, I plan on modding back to my FBO and my custom BB EF4 (yes, China turbo parts for all you people who don't know that even FP uses Chinese turbo parts...SURPRISE!!).
Fontana is closed until 2021 so no need to rush and this pandemic has me working from home, so I don't even drive any more other to Costco. Lol
I'm just swamped with work since Covid is making me do things multiple times because work connection sucks and I lose my work all the time.
Evolving Member
Joined: Mar 2020
Posts: 199
Likes: 64
From: San Diego, CA
This information is troubling. How would anyone go about smogging their car every two years with aftermarket parts? If they run the stock tune without force passing the necessary monitors to be ready, the car would fail smog with the aftermarket parts. Having to reinstall all stock parts every two year to run with the stock tune would not be worthwhile. No one will be able to mod their cars.
To pass ref, you can buy a spare ecu for flashing and keeping your original with stock tune. I can build any size turbo (up to size similar to FP Black) and make it look like stock 9 turbo. You can swap injectors, exhaust, and ecu for smog every 2 years. Unfortunately, the cams will need to stay stock if you don't want the huge headache of swapping it since timing belt has to come off to swap. You can still make up to 400whp on 91 and 500whp on E85 with stock cams and still be able to easily swap back for smog. Anything more will need a lot of work to swap every 2 years (cams, intake and exhaust manifolds, smog equipment, etc).
Anyone familiar with the progress California Rifle & Pistol Association has had recently? If they can do it, can we?
It's insane that this literally has nothing to do with emissions. We're running leaner, on E85, we can pass any sniffer test, and yet we have to spend thousands just to comply with nothing. I know there are some classic car groups on Facebook (Californians For Classic Car Smog Exemptions) that try to be politically active, but those weak exemptions aren't enough. I would easily pay an exemption fee if California just promised to leave me alone if I drove a relatively low number of miles. California could put that money towards the environment instead of screwing us over. They're essentially forcing us to get rid of our practically recycled cars and buy brand new Mustangs and Camaros.
I'm on a 2.4, so we'll see how it goes. I'm not doing an engine swap for California.
It's insane that this literally has nothing to do with emissions. We're running leaner, on E85, we can pass any sniffer test, and yet we have to spend thousands just to comply with nothing. I know there are some classic car groups on Facebook (Californians For Classic Car Smog Exemptions) that try to be politically active, but those weak exemptions aren't enough. I would easily pay an exemption fee if California just promised to leave me alone if I drove a relatively low number of miles. California could put that money towards the environment instead of screwing us over. They're essentially forcing us to get rid of our practically recycled cars and buy brand new Mustangs and Camaros.
I'm on a 2.4, so we'll see how it goes. I'm not doing an engine swap for California.
This information is troubling. How would anyone go about smogging their car every two years with aftermarket parts? If they run the stock tune without force passing the necessary monitors to be ready, the car would fail smog with the aftermarket parts. Having to reinstall all stock parts every two year to run with the stock tune would not be worthwhile. No one will be able to mod their cars.
They have no way to confirm you will be running e85 all the time. For all they know you are flexing back and forth between 85 and pump gas and they are not going to take your word for it.
a high-flow cat, maybe. As long as no CEL from the O2 sensor, I agree they shouldn't care.
For over a decade my friends and I have been bringing up exemptions to anyone who would listen. I, personally, drive my Evo about 1500mi per year and that's only if I drive to the track. They can't tell me I'm contributing much to pollution. Also, they would make a ton of money off me via registration + exemption fee vs the $0 they are getting from me now.
But, that would all require a legislative change and they don't that.
a high-flow cat, maybe. As long as no CEL from the O2 sensor, I agree they shouldn't care.
For over a decade my friends and I have been bringing up exemptions to anyone who would listen. I, personally, drive my Evo about 1500mi per year and that's only if I drive to the track. They can't tell me I'm contributing much to pollution. Also, they would make a ton of money off me via registration + exemption fee vs the $0 they are getting from me now.
But, that would all require a legislative change and they don't that.
EvoM Community Team Leader
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 5,690
Likes: 708
From: West Coast
you don't have to have 2 physical ECU's. Just having a copy of a passing rom that you can flash is good enough. Magnaflow makes a cat that has an OE exemption for our cars. It's not bolt on though so you would need to have some fabrication work done to fit it up. Their config tool on their site will say they don't (last I checked, probably because its not bolt on) but if you look at the CARB OE database they list a magnaflow Part number for our cars.
Yea the cat has to EXPLICITLY be in the CARB OE database for it to pass.
A large number of aftermarket cats are not.
As much as I freaking hate NJ, I do not miss this part about living in California.
A large number of aftermarket cats are not.
As much as I freaking hate NJ, I do not miss this part about living in California.
Evolving Member
Joined: Mar 2020
Posts: 199
Likes: 64
From: San Diego, CA
To pass ref, you can buy a spare ecu for flashing and keeping your original with stock tune. I can build any size turbo (up to size similar to FP Black) and make it look like stock 9 turbo. You can swap injectors, exhaust, and ecu for smog every 2 years. Unfortunately, the cams will need to stay stock if you don't want the huge headache of swapping it since timing belt has to come off to swap. You can still make up to 400whp on 91 and 500whp on E85 with stock cams and still be able to easily swap back for smog. Anything more will need a lot of work to swap every 2 years (cams, intake and exhaust manifolds, smog equipment, etc).
My planned mod list to hopefully hit about 320whp for now. Project "Stealth" lol
-Works o2 housing with stock heatshield (looks OEM)
-3" downpipe (preferably mild steel, rusty and ugly to look OEM lol)
-Ultimate racing HF cat (looks OEM)
-Tanabe cat-back
-AEM CARB Intake (has OE number, g2g)
-ECU Tune (RRE, etc.) on 91 octane (will just reflash with Tactrix cable and ECU Flash, 5-10 min to complete)
Does anyone make a stock-looking intercooler and piping?
EvoM Community Team Leader
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 5,690
Likes: 708
From: West Coast
The way I think it should work (what ever thats worth ) is you keep the car stock, or use only exempted parts and you get the normal smog test. If you modify your car to an unknown/uncertified configuration you get a different more strict smog test. If you pass that your new configuration becomes certified as is and you start doing the normal smog test again. Right now if you want to get an individual part certified it costs 10's of thousands of dollars in testing and that is outside the realm of what most modders can manage. I mean the more strict test I propose can be more expensive (but reasonable), it could be on the level of a ref inspection, but it should be reasonable and it should be results oriented. As in it only matters how your car performs/pollutes not what individual parts you are using. Really what they care about is cold start, idling, and cruising emissions and we all know changing the turbo, or wastegate actuator or intake pipes etc...etc.. either wont effect any of that, or can easily be tuned to not effect any of that. We just need the opportunity to prove that our config is legal without all the red tape around what individual part has an exemption etc. /rant
) is you keep the car stock, or use only exempted parts and you get the normal smog test. If you modify your car to an unknown/uncertified configuration you get a different more strict smog test. If you pass that your new configuration becomes certified as is and you start doing the normal smog test again. Right now if you want to get an individual part certified it costs 10's of thousands of dollars in testing and that is outside the realm of what most modders can manage. I mean the more strict test I propose can be more expensive (but reasonable), it could be on the level of a ref inspection, but it should be reasonable and it should be results oriented. As in it only matters how your car performs/pollutes not what individual parts you are using. Really what they care about is cold start, idling, and cruising emissions and we all know changing the turbo, or wastegate actuator or intake pipes etc...etc.. either wont effect any of that, or can easily be tuned to not effect any of that. We just need the opportunity to prove that our config is legal without all the red tape around what individual part has an exemption etc. /rant